Alcoholism

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

At what point does one become an alcoholic? Is it such a bad thing?

I do my homework for university and back when I worked full time I might have been regularly late-ish from booze hangovers but i did my work in a professional and timely manner.  But I also like to drink every night and have done for years, since I was at least 19.

Speak your brains.

[Icehaven]

Can I ask how old you are?

[idunnosomename]

I can stop whenever I want

*vomits in bed*

[MoonDust]

As mentioned in the CaB therapy thread I've been drinking every night for over a week. And last night when I went to the pub I lied to my partner saying I'm meeting a friend when really I was just going on my own, and even then she said "you've been going to the pub a lot lately..." and tonight I actually did go to the pub with my friend but said I'll stick to soft drinks as I've been drinking every night for over a week.


I didn't stick to soft drinks...

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

31 now but i look about 25 which I put down to the booze pickling my insides.

[MikeShaft]

Don't drink tomorrow and see how it goes.

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

Well I might not drink tomorrow but if I do I'm not sure it's such a bad thing. I guess that's my point, this isn't meant to be a cry for help.

[idunnosomename]

As long as you're drinking after 5pm and not putting whiskey on your cornflakes, it's fine.

*pisses in airing cupboard*

[Janie Jones]

31 now but i look about 25...

Coolio comeback 'deluded'

[steve98]

Well I might not drink tomorrow but if I do I'm not sure it's such a bad thing. I guess that's my point, this isn't meant to be a cry for help.

Classic denial. What next "whatever" ?

[Tombola]

I only drink 2-3 days a week, but it's always what would be considered binge drinking. I don't like the sensation of having a few, sobering up, and having a mini hangover. May as well not bother.

Probably the worst way to do it.

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

I would not say it's complete denial in that I've made this thread but I wondered where the line was - drinking every day but not to the point that it interrupts my work/study responsibilities.

I do go to the pub on my own a lot but then I'll text pictures of bees to my friends so I don't feel alone.

[Brundle-Fly]

If you drink every day, the least you can do is take one day off a week and build from there. Give your liver a day off.

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

But I look like I'm 25. I can't lose.

[rue the polywhirl]

One becomes an alcoholic when they start questioning whether they are an alcoholic. Just drink some more beers and whiskies, some beers mixed with whiskies and maybe some absinthe as well till the question becomes firmly sloshed in the recess of your mind.

[MikeShaft]

Well I might not drink tomorrow but if I do I'm not sure it's such a bad thing. I guess that's my point, this isn't meant to be a cry for help.

Just the initial question in the thread opener. No judgement. Just clinical. It's a good way to tell. If you can do it and it least indicates you control the drink rather than the other way around. If you struggle or can't, then it indicates more you perhaps have an addiction. What to do with that information is tricky.

[grassbath]

I'm 25 next month and drink every day, including to excess every weekend, with rare exception. It's the first thing I do when I get in from work, and if I have a free day to myself with nothing to do I will spend the entirety of it drinking and listening to music. I realise this is bad, but it doesn't seem abnormal -  mainly because I've just never really encountered any reason not to do it.

[Icehaven]

31 now but i look about 25 which I put down to the booze pickling my insides.

This isn't personal experience (I'm a few years older than you but my drinking patterns have been a lot more up and down than yours. Mostly up at the mo though tbh.) but the general advice is if you were to continue that level of drinking into your 40s you might start to build up problems for yourself. Although surely it depends on what 'drinking every day' means though, 2-3 regular sized drinks? 2-3 bottles of wine? A bottle of spirits?

[thenoise]

In my drinking days, I never got ill.  These days I get at least one crippling cold a year, usually two or three.  These leave me feeling worse than my worst hangovers.

But I look like I'm 25. I can't lose.

When is the last time you had your eyes tested?

[TrenterPercenter]

At what point does one become an alcoholic? Is it such a bad thing?

I do my homework for university and back when I worked full time I might have been regularly late-ish from booze hangovers but i did my work in a professional and timely manner.  But I also like to drink every night and have done for years, since I was at least 19.

Speak your brains.

Totally Discount-ya

I'd say there are few things regarding addiction.  Firstly it's nowt to do with getting shit done, you would be simply describing a functioning-alcoholic rather than a non-functioning-alcoholic in that case.

You can look at it in regards to health - are you drinking enough to damage your health? if so are you are aware and do you care about this?

You can look at it in regards of emotion - are you emotionally dependent on the booze? Are you dependant on it to manage your mood?

You can look at it in regards of thoughts - are you thinking about drinking a lot, where does it reside on your priorities?

You can look at it in regards to your behaviour - do your behaviours change regarding booze, i.e. would you lie, cheat, steal for booze?

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

Just the initial question in the thread opener. No judgement. Just clinical. It's a good way to tell. If you can do it and it least indicates you control the drink rather than the other way around. If you struggle or can't, then it indicates more you perhaps have an addiction. What to do with that information is tricky.

Oh yeah my answer wasn't meant to sound so snippy, I honestly want to hear what people think about where the line is. I would guess lots of cabbers under 40 drink to excess regularly and I'm interested to hear a range of views.

[MikeShaft]

Also, arriving late, hungover is by its very nature neither timely nor professional.

[MikeShaft]

Oh yeah my answer wasn't meant to sound so snippy,

No worries. Didn't read it as snippy. It was an interesting response in terms of the thread anyway. I would agree it's not a cry for help thread, but it would definitely suggest you are already questioning your relationship with booze. It's a good question to ask. And those from Trenter Percenter are great too.

[TrenterPercenter]

Oh yeah my answer wasn't meant to sound so snippy, I honestly want to hear what people think about where the line is. I would guess lots of cabbers under 40 drink to excess regularly and I'm interested to hear a range of views.

absolutely I was drunk as poet on payday into the early hours on Friday and Saturday night, i was out though living it large with a nice bunch of guys and gals that love the booze also.  I'm much more addicted to the social aspects of booze than the booze itself.

[Janie Jones]

What emerges clearly every time we have this thread is that there's no strict definition of problem drinking. I know a proper ruined-life alcoholic who lost her career, her marriage and custody of her kids, she could go days without touching a drink, usually Mondays to Thursdays. She can still do that but she'll be dead in 5 years unless she can stop completely.  I know another very heavy drinker who does Dry January every fucking year.

As long as you're drinking after 5pm and not putting whiskey on your cornflakes, it's fine.

*pisses in airing cupboard*

Ha, a lot of drinkers actually believe that - 'oh, I never drink at lunchtime, or 'need' a drink in the mornings, I must be fine.'

I also think Trenter Percenter's first post is helpful if you want to think about your relationship with alcohol.

[Johnny Yesno]

31 now but i look about 25 which I put down to the booze pickling my insides.

You're probably not even 18.

[TrenterPercenter]

I'd be interested in what people drink in a typical binge?

[MikeShaft]

there's no strict definition of problem drinking.

Indeed. I think it can be distinguished from alcoholism though as TP suggested with the high/low functioning argument.

[pancreas]

I'd be interested in what people drink in a typical binge?

If it's a dinner party gone bad then I think 3 bottles wine is plausible.

Honestly: I believe in a balanced diet of additives---much healthier.

[Gwen Taylor on ITV]

Also, arriving late, hungover is by its very nature neither timely nor professional.

Well this was in an office where people regularly turned up either an hour early or half an hour late and no one was fussed as long as you did your hours. In effect you could hide that your lateness was due to booze and no one batted an eyelid.